Rutherford County Finance Director Lisa Nolen says the county could face an increase of more than $2 million in employee health care costs as a result of mandates in the Affordable Care Act.

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County taxpayers face paying up to $2.6 million more in 2014 to meet Affordable Care Act coverage requirements for county employees, according to a report.

"This is thanks to you, President Obama," Rutherford County Commissioner Steve Sandlin said recently after sitting through a report on the federal health care law often called Obamacare. "This is an unfunded mandate across the board that we have to pay for."

The new mandates will start Jan. 1, said Rutherford County Risk Management Director Melissa Stinson, who oversees the county's self-insurance plan for government and school ...